HMS Hunter (D80)

HMS Hunter was a Attacker-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She carried the pennant number D80. The ship was named after Block Island Sound. Her keel was laid at Ingalls Shipbuilding on 15 May 1941. She entered service on 9 January 1943, having been launched on 22 May 1942.

Her class ran to five ships. The class followed the Avenger-class escort carrier and was succeeded by the Ruler-class escort carrier.

She displaced 14,400 long tons. She measured 149.7 m (491 ft) long with a beam of 32 m (105 ft). Her designed speed was 18 knots, and she carried a complement of 646. Her main battery was of 127 mm (5 in) calibre.

She served with the United States Navy as USS Block Island until 17 January 1947. She then passed to the Royal Navy, serving as HMS Hunter from 11 January 1943. She then passed to the Royal Netherlands Navy, serving as Almdijk (1947–1953) from 17 January 1947. She was in commission for 1,932 days of the Second World War. She was decommissioned on 29 December 1945. She was struck from the register on 17 January 1947.

She was broken up for scrap in 1965.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.